F-1 Visa Status

Other Information

Travel and reentry: Temporary 30-day admission with Form I-515A

Occasionally a student will leave the United States
temporarily and seek to return to this country without his
or her Form I-20. If while abroad the student discovers the
absence of the Form I-20, and time permits, the DSO should
issue and send the student a duplicate Form I-20 for use
upon reentry.

Students who do not have all the required documentation
may be denied entry to the United States. However,
immigration inspectors do have the authority to admit F-1
students (and accompanying dependents, if applicable) for 30
days on Form I-515A, if they are otherwise eligible for
readmission after a temporary absence, but have some
documentary deficiency. This is a highly discretionary
action, however, and there is no guarantee that the
immigration inspector will issue an I-515A.